Czech professional Stepan Danek, leading Indian pro Varun Parikh of Ahmedabad and Tour CEO Amandeep Johl with the Indorama Ventures Open trophy in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
A star-studded field featuring the domestic professional tour’s top names will tee off at the inaugural edition of the Indorama Ventures Open at Ahmedabad’s Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club on Wednesday.
Almost the entire upper echelon of the tour’s Order of Merit are in the 126-strong lineup including second placed Yuvraj Sandhu, number 3 Om Prakash Chouhan, number 5 Arjun Prasad and more, the PGTI said.
The Rs 2 crore event jointly staged by Indorama Ventures and the Professional Golf Tour of India sees men’s professional golf return to the Kalhaar course after a year.
Title sponsor Indorama Ventures is a global sustainable chemicals company with its diversified, international businesses integrated across the PET and specialty chemicals value chain.
Indorama Ventures’ footprint spans manufacturing operations at 117 locations in 31 countries, with market-leading positions in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Also in the 126-member field are three amateurs including Indian golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh’s son Harjai and the highly-regarded Arav Shah. The top 50 and ties will make the cut after two rounds at the par-72 course.
Deep field
Adding to the strength of the event are the likes of Ajeetesh Sandhu, Manu Gandas, Shaurya Bhattacharya, Ahmedabad’s Varun Parikh, Rahil Gangjee, and two-time Indian Open winner S.S.P Chawrasia.
The overseas challenge will be led by Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek, Sri Lankans N. Thangaraja and K. Prabagaran, Koichiro Sato of the US, Italian Federico Zucchetti, and Uganda’s Joshua Seale.
Also in the fray from Bangladesh are Md Siddikur Rahman, Jamal Hossain, Badal Hossain, Md Akbar Hossain, Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir, Md Somrat Sikdar, Md Muaj and Md Razu as well as Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai and Subash Tamang.
Besides PGTI winner Parikh, other professionals representing Ahmedabad include Jay Pandya and Dhruv Suri besides amateur Islam Khan.
Building blocks
Said Indorama Ventures founder and group CEO Aloke Lohia on tournament eve, “We are proud to begin our association with the PGTI as the title sponsor of the inaugural Indorama Ventures Open.
“As one of the world’s leading chemical companies, our partnership with the PGTI is an opportunity to promote the growth of professional golf in India while creating meaningful connections with the broader golf community.
“This year’s event at the world-class Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club promises to be a showcase of extraordinary talent, and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of India’s professional golfers.”
Added PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl, “This new partnership is a testament to the continuing upward trajectory of Indian golf. We will strive to work jointly with Indorama to establish the event as one of the top attractions on the PGTI schedule.
“An impressive prize purse, a stellar field and immaculate playing conditions at the magnificent Kalhaar Blues & Greens, make for a fascinating week of golfing action.”
Also read: Flawless Saptak Talwar wins maiden PGTI title on home turf
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